A Christmas Carol
by Pyra Opal
Summary: Kuchiki Byakuya hated Christmas and everyone knew it. But the arrival of his dead partner and a visit from three ghosts aim to change that. A Christmas Carol with the characters from Bleach.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I donot own Bleach or A Christmas Carol. I'm just seeig what it's like if I put them together.

AN: Yes I know it's another person trying the 'let's put other characters into A Christmas Carol', but it's Christmas, so please review.

* * *

Aizen was dead to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner, Kuchiki Byakuya. And Byakuya's name was as good as anything he chose to put his name to.

Aizen was as dead as a doornail. He and Byakuya were partners for God knows how many years. Byakuya was his sole partner, his sole friend, his sole mourner and his sole executor. Aizen was definitely dead, that must be distinctly understood or nothing marvellous can come out of this story.

But Byakuya never painted out Aizen's name. There it was year after year 'Kuchiki and Aizen'. That was the name of their business, sometimes people called him Kuchiki, and sometimes Aizen. But he didn't mind or care so long as they came with their business.

* * *

Byakuya sat at his desk in the cold room, paying no attention to the frost that nipped at his fingers and face. By the doorway his poor clerk was having a harder time ignoring the freezing temperatures.

Kurosaki Ichigo was a kind man, he liked to pretend to be surly and impatient but the people close to him knew better. He was fiercely protective and extremely loyal (he had to be to carry on with this job). Ichigo considered asking to be allowed to put another shovel of coal on the fire, but thought better of it, choosing instead to tighten the scarf his wife had made him around his neck.

The only sound in the office was that of the quills on paper and the loud breathing of the clerk as he tried to stay warm. Neither man bothered to look up at the jingle of the bell that signalled someone had entered the room until a joyful voice filled the dismal atmosphere.

"Merry Christmas Brother, God bless you!"

Byakuya looked up from his work to be greeted with the grinning face of his adopted sister.

"Bah!" he snorted regally "Humbug!"

"Christmas, a humbug, Brother?" Rukia sounded shocked as she shook her head in amazement. "You can't mean that surely!"

"Can't I?" Byakuya asked, looking back down, beginning work again as he spoke. "What is Christmas but a time when you find yourself a year older and not a penny richer?"

"Christmas may not put money in my pocket, but I believe it has benefitted me in many other ways. It is a kind, giving, charitable time; the only time I know of where men and women consent to open their shut-up hearts and look out for one another. Therefore despite your objections I wish you a Merry Christmas."

This speech received a small clap from Ichigo, but he stopped quickly at Byakuya's glare, quickly going back to work.

"If I hear one more sound out of you Kurosaki Ichigo then you'll celebrate Christmas unemployed." Byakuya turned to face his sister. "If that is all you came here for..."

"Of course not!" Rukia beamed hanging up a Chappy shaped holly wreath on his office door. "I came to invite you to dine with us tomorrow."

"I'll see you in hell first," Byakuya told her vehemently.

"Why?" Rukia asked, actually beginning to look upset.

"I won't nothing to do with Christmas, or that husband of yours. Why did you get married?"

"Why? Because I fell in love!"

"And that," Byakuya said as he stood up. "Is the only thing that is more ridiculous than Christmas. Good afternoon. My clerk will show you out."

Rukia sighed, but allowed herself to be led to the door by Ichigo, wishing him a Merry Christmas as she left. Ichigo returned the greetings with a small smile that made Byakuya frown. The idiot, when letting his sister out, had let two other gentlemen in. He recognised them as Mr Shunsui Kyōraku and Mr Tōshirō Hitsugaya. The former drank too much, and the latter was too small to be taken seriously.

"That clerk of mine," Byakuya said to the gentlemen as if they were interested. "Earns fifteen shillings a week with a wife and family to support, and him talking about Merry Christmas, I'll retire to Bedlam."

The two men looked at each other before deciding to ignore the comment. "Do we have the pleasure of addressing Mr Aizen or Mr Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked formally. Shunsui giggled.

"Aizen has been dead these seven years. He died exactly seven years ago tonight." Byakuya said with a bored tone of voice.

"Well," Shunsui staggered cheerfully (it was cold outside so he'd been drinking to keep warm). "I'm sure his generosity lives on in his surviving partner. We are gathering some money for the poor, to buy them a bit of meat and fuel for the holiday. What can..." he frowned, trying to remember why he was here. "What can we put you down for?"

"Nothing," Byakuya growled.

"You mean you wish to be left anonymous?" Hitsugaya asked, frowning slightly.

"I mean, I wished to be left alone. Are there no prisons or workhouses?"

"Yes, though many would rather die than go there."

This statement received no sympathy from Byakuya. "Well then, they'd better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Now good afternoon gentlemen." The men had no choice to leave and they did so, grumbling.

There was now only Ichigo and Byakuya left in the office. They continued working until eight in the evening when Ichigo began to pack up.

"I'll suppose you'll be wanting tomorrow off?" Byakuya said as he blew out the candle on his desk.

"It is Christmas," Ichigo pointed out, placing the shutters on the windows, and grabbing the broom to begin sweeping.

"Huh! A fine excuse to pick a man's pocket every twenty fifth of December. If I docked half a crown from your wages you'd sit and moan about it. Still if you must have the whole day off then be sure to be in here early the next day." With that he stormed out, cloak swishing threateningly behind him as he made his way home.

Now we must remember at this point that Aizen was definitely dead. So you can imagine Byakuya's terror when Aizen's head appeared out of the door knocker. He jumped back, dropping his keys, and brandishing his cane like a sword. But the knocker had turned back to the silver lion it was supposed to be. Shaking his head he picked up his keys and opened his door, ignoring the servants that ran about him. He went straight to his room and locked the door.

He was just dozing off in front of the fire when he heard a large, repeated clunking sound, and the rattling of chains. Grabbing the poker beside him, he almost dropped it when the ghost like figure of his old partner came _through_ the closed door, dragging large chains and boxes with him.

"BYAAAKUUYAA!" Aizen shrieked.

"Humbug," Byakuya muttered feebly.

"Byakuya!"

"Aizen?" Byakuya approached the figure cautiously, still carrying the poker. "Are you Aizen?"

The figure rolled his eyes, and sighed mournfully. "Do not ask me who I am, ask me who I was." Apparently this was supposed to be the obvious question to ask.

"Who were you?"

"In life I was Aizen, your business partner."

Byakuya snorted. "Impossible!" And he swung the poker at the figure, and to his shock it went right through him. Byakuya stared for a moment, then sat down, trying to make sense of what just happened.

"Believe me now?" Aizen asked with a slight smile that faded when the chains he was wearing dragged him backwards.

"It seems I must, but why do spirits walk on earth, and why do they come to me? Why are you heavily chained?"

Aizen let out a mournful wail that made the hair at the back of Byakuya's neck rise up. "It is required of every man that the spirit within him travel far, but if that spirit does not to do so in life, then it is condemned to do so in death. This is the chain I forged in life. I made it by my acts of greed, I forged it link and link. You wear such a chain yourself, and it was as heavy and as long as this one seven years ago."

"Speak comfort!"

"I have none to give. However there is a chance for you to avoid my fate. I called in a few favours. Tonight you shall be haunted by three spirits."

"I'd rather just go to bed," Byakuya interrupted but was cut off.

"Without these spirits, you cannot hope to avoid my fate. Expect the first when the bell tolls, one, expect the second on the next night. And the third the night after that."

"Can't I meet them all at once and get it over with?"

Aizen's only reply was to float out the window and Byakuya followed him. Looking outside he saw hundreds of spirits floating in the air, all heavily chained and wailing mournfully. Aizen gave him one last sorrowful look, before he flew off to join them. Byakuya took one quick glance at the spirits and snapped his curtains shut, edging away from the window and almost running to bed, poker still at his side.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! Here's the next chapter. I'm trying to have the story done by Christmas or it unlikely to ever be finished. Luckily the Christmas Carol seems to be everywhere I turn at the minute.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or A Christmas Carol

* * *

When Byakuya awoke, it was to the bell outside signalling that midnight had approached. He was tempted to just go back to sleep, then he remembered with dread the visit from Aizen, and the ghost that was supposed to drop by in an hour. He hoped that it was all a bad dream, but decided to wait up until one o'clock just the same.

Keeping a firm grip on the poker at his side, Byakuya stared up at the ceiling and jumped when a loud clang filled the air as the clock struck one.

"No spirit," Byakuya muttered to himself. "I'm going back to bed and I'll laugh at my stupidity tomorrow morning."

He'd just closed his eyes when a burst of ethereal light made him open them again quickly. He had to squint in order to avoid the light hurting his eyes, but he could just make out a figure. As the light slowly dimmed he could make out that it was in a white robe. His dark purple hair shone in the darkness and he wore a visor. If Byakuya guessed correctly then he was blind.

"Who are you?" he asked the figure, edging slightly closer.

"I am the Spirit of Christmas Past" the ghost spoke, and held out a hand. "Let us walk together." Byakuya followed him, but stopped as the spirit approached the window.

"Spirit, I'm mortal. I am liable to fall."

The Spirit stared at him with unseeing eyes and grabbed his hand. In a flash of light the bedroom faded and when Byakuya looked around he recognised the place immediately. "I was a boy here!" he told the Spirit, with just the start of a small smile spreading across his face. All around them boys were running. Byakuya tried to call out to a few but they paid him no attention.

"These are but shadows of what was, they cannot see or hear us," the Spirit told Byakuya.

Byakuya only half heard him, for as all the boys ran out the door to go home for Christmas, one solitary figure remained seated at a desk. Byakuya was staring at a younger version of himself.

"You did not go home for Christmas?" the Spirit asked.

"My father's orders," Byakuya spoke, and found that there seemed to be something lodged in his throat. He coughed, trying to clear it, but it made little difference. "I wasn't to waste time with holidays. I had to study at school during the holidays and prepare myself for taking over the family businesses and start one of my own."

"You must have been lonely," the Spirit commented with a little sympathy.

"Every year…was much the same," Byakuya said, mostly to himself. "Nothing changed."

The Spirit took Byakuya's hand again, and the schoolroom faded and they were now in an office, decorated for Christmas. Byakuya recognised it as Mr Ukitake's, the place he'd first been apprenticed to!

"I used to work here!" Byakuya exclaimed, and looked around to see himself and another boy. "There's Kaien Shiba," he pointed, and then spun round, as a familiar, cheerful voice echoed round the room.

"No more work tonight, it's Christmas Eve, put up the shutters, the guests will be arriving soon." Mr Ukitake entered with his wife, who used to be the famous healer Unohana before she married her husband, behind him carrying drinks.

"It's Mr Ukitake!" Byakuya almost shouted in the Spirit's ear, looking more excited than he had done in years. "The kindest of men, and his wife was the kindest of women. They used to throw a massive party every Christmas Eve."

"So, little," the Spirit told him. "It only cost him a couple of pounds each year."

"You don't understand," Byakuya snapped. "It wasn't how much he spent. He had the ability to make our work easy or hard. The happiness he gave us was quite as great as if it had cost a fortune."

Byakuya wandered around as guests entered and Mr and Mrs Ukitake sang, and ordered everyone to dance. He froze when he saw one particular woman enter the party.

"Hisana," he croaked, watching as his younger self rushed over to help her with her cloak. The young Byakuya looked as though he could not see anyone but the girl he was leading to the dance floor, and happier than older Byakuya had ever felt.

"There is another Christmas with this young lady," the Spirit spoke.

"No, Spirit I do not wish to see. Take me home."

But the Spirit ignored him, grasping his hand and transporting them to a snowy field, where sat the previously happy couple looking solemn.

"It matters little," Hisana spoke softly. "To you, very little. Another idol has displaced me and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, then I have no just cause to grieve."

"What idol has displaced you?" young Byakuya asked, sounding slightly impatient.

"A prideful one."

"My father died and I inherited the family businesses, only to find them in poor order. Give me time to sort it out, then we shall get married."

"Our contract," Hisana said quietly, and Byakuya tried to turn away, only to find himself frozen to the spot, unable to look away from the woman that could have been his wife. "Is an old one. It was made when you were content to have a poor wife, with no connections or money, when the opinions of the rest of your family mattered little to you. You've changed, you are not the man you were when our promises were first made. Therefore I can release you."

"Stop," Byakuya cried, tears threatening to fall, "stop you fool."

"Have I ever sought release?" younger Byakuya asked, looking at his fiancée incredulously.

"In words, no, never."

"Then in what?"

"In a changed nature. Tell me, if we met now for the first, would you seek me out and try to win me?" Hisana waited for an answer, and when none came, she shook her head sadly. "No, you would not. I hope you are happy with the life you have chosen."

Taking off her engagement ring, she left it on the bench and walked off, not looking back. Young Byakuya just sat there staring at it, making no attempt to move.

"After her, after her you fool," Byakuya was crying now, and the Spirit beside clapped a hand on his shoulder and Byakuya's bedroom reappeared.

"She died shortly after that meeting. You adopted her sister into your family did you not?"

"Leave me Spirit," Byakuya cried, turning away, "Haunt me no more. Leave!" And Byakuya swung the poker at the apparition as it disappeared, muttering something that sounded like, 'that's the last time I do a favour for Aizen'.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Third chapter and here is the Spirit of Christmas Present. Please review.

Disclaimer: I own neither Bleach or the Christmas Carol

* * *

Byakuya did not sleep after the first visit. He sat on his bed, trying to block out the memories he's been forced to relive. When the bell did again toll one, his head shot up, and he looked wildly around the room for the second spirit, but there was nothing.

He was just going to crawl into bed and try and get some sleep, when light once again flooded the room, so bright that it was impossible to see. When it cleared, the once dreary room was now properly decorated for Christmas. Holly and mistletoe hung from the walls and ceiling, fruit and nuts were laden in bowls scattered across the room, the smell of roast goose filled the air. In the middle of a room, a man with short white hair, and a fox-like grin stood. He was dressed in a rather garish shade of green and held a large horn, filled with something that glittered in the light.

"Byakuya!" the Spirit exclaimed cheerfully. "Come, Byakuya, and no me better, man!"

Warily, Byakuya approached, wondering if madness was in the job requirement for a Spirit.

"I am the Spirit of Christmas Present? Have you ever seen the like of me before?"

Byakuya was quite sure, that if he had, he'd definitely have remembered, the Spirit was something you'd forget quickly. Deciding it would be best to get this over with, he sighed wearily. "Conduct me where you will."

"Right," the Spirit's grin continued as he grabbed Byakuya and transported them in front of a small house in one of the poorer parts of town.

"Why do you take me to a place such as this?" Byakuya asked, narrowly avoiding landing in a heap of garbage. He wrinkled his nose in distaste and tried to keep the edge of his dressing gown from touching the ground.

The Spirit shook his, grin still intact. "It's Christmas here too you know," and he took a handful of glitter from his horn and threw it over the house. "This is your clerk's house, Kurosaki Ichigo and his family reside here."

"Here?" Byakuya asked incredulously. He'd never bothered to ask where his clerk lived, and up until now he'd never cared.

"Come and give me a hand dear," a friendly voice called from inside. The Spirit grabbed Byakuya and pulled him through the wall as though it were an open door. Inside the dwelling he saw a woman with orange-brown hair, setting the table. Around her five children ran about, trying to help there mother.

The house itself didn't seem large enough all of them, and there was lot of tripping as they fell over each other in there haste to help. All were poorly dressed, but had made an effort to brighten their outfits up with ribbons and holly.

"Where on earth is your father?" Mrs Kurosaki asked the children. "And your sister, Little Nel."

"Father's coming, now!" a child by the window yelled, and there was big rush to get the goose on the table, along with the potatoes, gravy and vegetables. They'd just set down the last plate when Kurosaki Ichigo came strolling through the door, with a little light green haired girl on his shoulder. His characteristic frown had vanished, and a heart warming smile was in its place, as he deposited his daughter in a chair, and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek in welcome.

Byakuya felt his heart clench painfully when he noticed that Little Nel had a crutch and that her left leg appeared to be suspended in an iron cast. It seemed to sadden Mrs Kurosaki too, for she quickly wiped a tear onto her apron and ordered her two youngest to take Little Nel to the washhouse so she could see the pudding cooking.

With them out the way she turned again to her husband. "How did Little Nel behave today?"

Ichigo chuckled and pulled his wife into a hug. "As good as gold Orihime, most likely because it's Christmas. All the old woman in the church were fussing over her and giving her sweets. I think…" He paused, as though reluctant to tempt fate. "I think she is getting stronger Orhime."

Both stood together in silence for a minute, until Mrs Kurosaki pulled herself together and ordered everyone to the table.

"Lord bless this glorious feast," Ichigo said, taking his seat at the head of the table and beginning to carve the goose.

The Spirit beside Byakuya snorted. "Hardly a suitable comment for a meal such as this, the bird's tiny!" Byakuya had noticed this too, and frowned as the Kurosaki's shrieked over it as though it were the largest and rarest bird in the country.

"It's not very big," Orihime told the family, "but there'll be enough for all of us if we smother it with bean paste and mashed potatoes."

As the meal was devoured and the pudding brought out and eaten up, Byakuya observed the happiness on each Kurosaki's face, despite the size of the meal. When all the plates had been cleared away, Ichigo raised his glass. "A toast. I give you a merry Christmas to us all, God bless us all!"

"God bwess us," Little Nel joined in, "everyone wan."

Byakuya found himself unable to look away from the little girl, sat happily in between her mother and father. "Tell me Spirit, will Little Nel live."

The Spirit's grin lessened very slightly. "I see a vacant seat in the corner. I see a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, none of my brothers will find him here. What then? If he is likely to die, then he'd better do it and decrease the surplus population."

Byakuya winced, slightly ashamed to have his own words quoted back to him, but turned around quickly when he heard his own name mentioned.

"Mr Kuchiki! Raise your glasses everybody. I give you Mr Kuchiki, the founder of the feast."

Mrs Kurosaki's usually warm eyes hardened. "The founder of the feast indeed! I wish I had him here. I'd give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and hope he'd have a good appetite for it."

"It's Christmas Day," Ichigo reminded her.

At the shocked glances of her children she lowered her voice slightly. "It should be Christmas Day indeed, a day on which you want us to drink the health of such an odious, hard, unfeeling man as Mr Kuchiki. You know he is Ichigo, no one knows it better than you." She sighed at her husband's plaintive look, eyes warming again. "I'll drink his health for your sake. Not for his. Long life to him. A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He'll be very merry and happy, I'll be bound."

Byakuya winced at her tone and words. "It seems my name has cast a shadow over the celebration." He turned to the Spirit. "Where now?"

"We have one last place to visit." The Spirit grabbed Byakuya's arm, and in a flash of light they left the Kurosaki's to appear…at his adopted sister's. There she stood with her husband next to her and guests surrounding both of them.

"He said that Christmas was 'a humbug'. Can you believe it? A humbug."

Her husband, who had let his red hair down for the occasion, chortled as he poured everyone drinks, slinging an arm around Rukia's shoulders. "More shame on him, never had any patience with him."

"Isn't he very rich," a very drunk Rangiku asked, ignoring the way Shūhei Hisagi was staring at her chest.

Rukia shrugged. "So? His wealth is no good to him. He doesn't make himself comfortable by it."

There was a chorus of agreement, before Hisagi demanded a game of blind man's bluff, and volunteered to be the blind man. Byakuya gave a small smile as Hisagi immediately headed towards Rangiku after the cloth was tightened and he was spun round. The man was cheating!

"He can see!" Rukia laughed as Rangiku was backed into a corner.

"Now, let me guess who this is?" Hisagi grinned as everyone laughed, including Rangiku, who ripped his blindfold off and kissed him, much to the amusement of the rest of the party guests. Even Byakuya chuckled, and the Spirit was laughing so hard, he almost dropped his horn of glitter.

"One more game before dinner," Renji announced, and Rukia agreed, suggesting to him that they should play 'Yes and No', and that she would go first.

"Is it in the house?" Renji asked, as the Spirit beckoned they should go.

"Let's just watch this game," Byakuya asked, he hadn't had this much fun in a while. The Spirit shrugged, muttering something that sounded like, "you won't like the outcome."

"No," Rukia grinned as her husband swore.

"Is it an animal?" Byakuya and Hisagi asked at the same time, and Byakuya glared at the man, forgetting that he was invisible.

"Yes."

"A disagreeable animal?" Rangiku hiccupped.

"Yes."

The game continued for quite some time. Snake, rat, cockroach, ant and spider were all discarded, and the guests and Byakuya were just about to give up when Renji let out a yell of triumph. "A disagreeable animal, in London, and human. It's Kuckiki Byakuya!"

"YES!" Rukia grinned hugging her husband as laughter filled the room. In the corner Byakuya sulked.

"Knew you wouldn't like the outcome!" the Spirit grinned and transported them outside. His voice became more serious. "She was your fiancée's sister. You should have accepted her invitation for Hisana's sake, not for your own."

Byakuya looked at his feet, and when he did look back up noticed that the Spirit seemed older, wrinkles covered his face, and he walked with a slight stoop.

"You've grown old Spirit."

"My life upon this world is very short, it ends tonight."

"Tonight!" Byakuya looked horrified, and then he noticed something clawing under the Spirit's robe. "What is that? Is it a claw?"

The Spirit pulled back the robe to reveal two small children. "It might be a claw for all the flesh it has upon it." He gestured to the boy with red hair. "This child is Ignorance." He then gestured to the black haired girl with bangs falling over her face. "And this child is Want. Beware them both, but beware most of all the boy, for from him come all others of their kind."

Byakuya looked horrified. "Have they no refuge?"

"Have they no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" the Spirit asked and vanished. Behind Byakuya he felt a presence.

Turning round he come face to face with the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come.


End file.
